Amtrak single-level night trains to replace Superliners

Amtrak single-level night trains are now the direction for the carrier’s next passenger car replacement cycle. According to Amtrak, Amtrak announced last week that it will move to an entirely single-level fleet. The change replaces today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment as the bi-level Superliners are withdrawn from service.

Amtrak spent three or four years pursuing an impractical design that manufacturers did not want to build. At the same time, Amtrak still has not issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the single-level fleet, as the High Speed Rail Alliance notes. Meanwhile, pressure needs to be maintained to get the request for proposals issued, get an order placed, and ensure production moves quickly.

Don’t miss…California High-Speed Rail cost estimate trimmed in Draft 2026 plan

Amtrak single-level night trains and the push for new cars

It is urgent that Amtrak gets new cars as soon as possible. The first 284 Superliners, built by Pullman-Standard, were delivered from 1979-81. The second set of 195 Superliners, built by Bombardier Transportation (a successor of Pullman-Standard and predecessor of Alstom), arrived from 1991-96.

Also, the 380 bi-level Superliner cars still in service, out of an original 479 built, are beyond their useful lives. Still, while many will miss the views Superliners offered from their second-floor windows, replacing them with single-level units is the right decision.

Why a bi-level car shell design is not on the table?

No bi-level car shell design exists. Regulations have changed since the 1990s, and the design Amtrak was hoping to have built is unique to the United States. The last manufacturer that agreed to building a bi-level, Nippon Sharyo, was unable to meet the specifications and went bankrupt.

A 2011 order by California and Illinois was delayed by five years by the attempt. Ultimately, the order was filled by single-levels cars.

No factory exists to build bi-level cars and elevators add risk

Separately, no factory exists to build bi-level cars. The welding machines needed to build railcars are complex and fill a building, and it would take years just to build the needed building and welding machine.

Elevators are a bad idea. Elevators weren’t required when the Superliners were built, but they would have been required now. In the rugged environment in which these trains operate, it is unrealistic to think elevators would be reliable, and they would consume precious space.

The Superliners will be missed by passengers who appreciated the comfort of the seats, the smooth ride, the view out the window from coach and from the observation cars, even the soft interior lighting. But this is no time to mourn the Superliners. It is urgent to have more trains in service as soon as possible.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: